FISSURE Universe: Episode 8 brings $250,000 Dota 2 showdown with stacked invited field and live Play-In action

The latest FISSURE Universe chapter is under way in Europe, with a $250,000 prize pool, six tier-one invited teams and a Play-In phase that will determine the final contenders for the double-elimination Playoffs.

FISSURE Universe: Episode 8 has officially taken its place on the early-2026 Dota 2 calendar, launching online on EU West as one of the first tier-one events of the year with a $250,000 prize pool at stake. The tournament is organized by FISSURE and runs across multiple stages: Open Qualifiers, a European Play-In and the main event, which culminates in Playoffs at the end of January and start of February.

The headline attraction is the main phase, where eight invited teams will be joined by two squads coming through the Play-In stage. According to the official format, the ten teams are split into two round-robin groups, with all group matches played as best-of-two series. The top three sides from each group progress to the Playoffs, while the bottom two from each group are eliminated. The Playoffs then switch to a double-elimination bracket, with all matches played as best-of-three except for the Grand Final, which is a best-of-five.

FISSURE has assembled a high-profile invited lineup for the final phase: Team Spirit, Team Liquid, BetBoom Team, MOUZ, PARIVISION and Team Yandex have all secured direct Playoff spots, underlining the event’s status as a key test ahead of this year’s BLAST, ESL and PGL tournaments. The remaining positions will be filled by two Play-In teams, chosen from a sixteen-team field that includes regional contenders such as Nigma Galaxy, 1win, AVULUS, L1ga Team, Zero Tenacity, Aurora Gaming, Power Rangers and others.

The Play-In phase, running from 21 to 28 January, has already produced its first decisive results. Inner Circle struck early with a 2–1 win over VP.Prodigy in Group A, while AVULUS opened their campaign by edging past 1win with another 2–1 scoreline. In Group B, Nigma Galaxy started strongly with back-to-back 2–0 victories over 1000 Reasons and Pipsqueak+4, while L1ga Team recovered from an opening loss to stay in contention. With more group matches and a dedicated Play-In Playoffs bracket still ahead, competition for the two main-event slots is set to intensify over the coming days.

For teams and fans alike, FISSURE Universe: Episode 8 is more than just another online tournament: it is an early-season benchmark that brings together proven champions and hungry challengers under a compact, high-stakes format, setting the tone for how the professional Dota 2 year may unfold.